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There's a lot to consider when choosing a new cell phone, whether you are tech-savvy or not. Between design features, hardware specs, platform, and the availability of AI-powered tools, there's a lot of information to process, all before getting to the gadget's price. The product category is chock full of devices in various form factors across multiple price points. Depending on your needs and budget, you can choose a solid basic model that costs under $300 like the Moto G Power, a big-screen iPhone Pro, or a do-everything foldable Samsung Galaxy that can replace two devices but costs more than many gaming laptops.
To help you navigate today's saturated market, we thoroughly tested the most promising phones that arrived over the past year. We handpicked the best iPhone and Android phones, with the latter being a particularly eclectic bunch in terms of design and available features.
We're living in the mid-2020s, so your next cell phone should be an iPhone or an Android smartphone. These gadgets, in addition to making calls and sending messages, allow you to browse the web and social media, use apps to stay connected, entertained, and, crucially, on top of your workflow. It's been more than two decades since smartphones started becoming a thing, so getting a good one that's affordable and intuitive is easy.
That said, if you are hellbent on getting a phone just for calls and basic text connectivity, the Nokia 2780 Flip is your best bet. It's cheap, compact, easy to use, and capable of lasting for days between charges.
Choosing between an iPhone and one of the many Android phones is a real-life embodiment of the age-old apples-or-oranges dilemma. Deciding what device to get is a matter of personal preference and, more importantly, what platform your family and friends have invested in.
Apple iPhone users are rightfully obsessed with iMessage and its distinctive blue text bubbles. Any iPhone will also seamlessly integrate with all Apple gadgets on the market — from AirPods and Apple Watch to a MacBook. If your circle of people have iPhones, you should seriously consider one. If they have Android devices but you still want one, don't worry — you can still communicate properly with them via RCS texts or through WhatsApp, Viber, and many other messaging platforms.
Going the Android way will present you with more buying options, especially if you are shopping on a tight budget. Plus, there are more brands and device form factors to consider.
Big-screen phones with displays that measure above six inches diagonally have long become the norm for consumers. In fact, screens of top-shelf iPhones and Androids approach seven inches in size. That's close to tablet territory, but sleek designs and thin screen bezels still make these gadgets pocketable.
If ergonomics and one-hand interactions are a priority for you, look for a phone with a screen that's closer to six inches diagonally (6.3- or less). Bigger phones are unwieldier, if frequently more capable.
A flip phone with a foldable screen, like the Moto razr+ or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, offers the best of both worlds. These devices are easily pocketable when folded yet still capable of delivering a proper big-screen experience when you flip them open.
Multi-sensor camera setups have also become standard for both iPhone and Android devices. Dual-camera phones typically feature a standard lens with a wide field of view and an ultra-wide one for capturing landscape photos, large groups of people, and other challenging scenes. Prepare to spend extra to get a phone with a dedicated telephoto camera, as this functionality is still exclusive to the premium price tier.
The camera quality and features of any phone are directly related to its price. The more you spend to upgrade, the better the photography results you'll get. High-end iPhones, Google Pixels, and Samsung Galaxy devices have proven to be excellent in this field.
Unless you are shopping on a super tight budget, don't settle for a phone without an official rating for water and dust resistance. A longtime industry standard, the enhanced durability will ensure your investment can withstand the elements. On the other hand, advances in build materials have made today's best phones surprisingly resilient to damage from drops, though I'd still recommend a case for any device you buy.
Additional features, such as wireless charging and built-in stereo speakers, are also important to look for, as is the velocity with which a phone replenishes its battery. Naturally, high-end phones have an edge in these departments over lower-priced competitors.
The availability of original and third-party accessories is also crucial in making a smartphone choice. In this regard, you should know that the iPhone is in a league of its own. Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones are the closest iPhone rivals in terms of available cases and accessories.
I've been testing phones for a living since the early 2010s when BlackBerry was still considered an industry giant. I've been following the industry closely since, so I unsurprisingly lost count of the phones I reviewed over the years. For this guide, I zeroed in on the best iPhone and Android phones out today. I have reviewed most of the devices in this selection, should you decide to dive deeper into their design and performance before making a decision. With all of the above in mind, find the best cell phone for your needs among the picks I vouch for below.
The iPhone 16 Pro is Apple’s best phone yet and the best upgrade for first-time users and longtime brand faithful alike. Available in two screen sizes—a 6.3-inch Pro and a 6.9-inch Max version—the phone offers a perfect mixture of sleek design, excellent ergonomics (its action and camera control buttons are fantastic), and great everyday performance.
The latest iPhone runs iOS 18 out of the box and provides a feature-rich yet intuitive platform with Apple Intelligence for improving productivity. It also enhances your creativity with helpful writing and image creation.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are stellar Pro alternatives if you want to keep your upgrade budget in three-digit territory. Their build, displays, and dual rear cameras aren’t as fancy, but their performance and platform experience are just as remarkable.
| Platform | Display | Cameras | Durability |
| Apple iOS | 6.3-inch or 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with 460 pixels per inch, ProMotion | 48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto, 12MP front-facing camera | IP68 water- and dustproof |
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro and its big-screen XL sibling are the best Android phones worth your attention. The latest Pixels deliver the most up-to-date Android experience with a plethora of AI-powered tools and Google Gemini — the tech giant’s mighty virtual assistant.
The triple rear camera of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL is one of the best in the industry and reason enough to consider the phones over their Android rivals. The top-shelf optics, in tandem with Google’s sophisticated image and video processing tech, make capturing memories super easy even for complete newbies.
The lower-priced Google Pixel 9 is worth considering if you want to save money and don’t prioritize a feature-packed snapper. Camera hardware aside, the phone offers an identical experience and performance as the Pixel 9 Pro.
| Platform | Display | Cameras | Durability |
| Android | 6.3- or 6.8-inch Super Actua OLED 120-Hz maximum refresh rate | 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto, 42MP front-facing camera | IP68 water- and dustproof |
The Moto G Power is the cell phone to get if you are looking to upgrade on a tight budget. For a penny below $300 before additional discounts, the Android phone has an elegant design with a vegan leather finish, a tough build with robust rating for water and dust resistance, stellar hardware specs and performance for the money, and fantastic battery life.
I also like its clutter-free Android 15 interface, built-in standard audio jack for pairing wired headsets without a dongle, and memory card slot for easy and cheap storage expansion. The last two features allowed me to use the Moto G Power as an MP3 player replacement.
Equipped with a massive battery pack, the phone can easily last a full day of heavy use with power to spare. The device’s wired and wireless charging speeds are just as impressive and, together with its battery endurance, worthy of its Power moniker. With a mid-range MediaTek chip and 8 GB of RAM, the Moto G Power delivers solid everyday performance with speedy interactions and reliable multitasking.
Overall, the Moto G Power exceeded my design and performance expectations set by its price tag. For around $100 less, the standard Moto G offers a cheaper alternative with similar looks, but toned-down specs with a lower-resolution screen, less memory, and no official rating for water resistance.
| Platform | Display | Cameras | Weather Resistance |
| Android | 6.8-inch FHD+ (2,388 x 1,080 pixels) LCD display, 120-Hz maximum refresh rate | 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, 16MP front-facing camera | IP68 and IP69 dust- and water-resistant |
The just-launched iPhone 16e is the most affordable Apple-made smartphone out today, and an excellent choice for buyers on a tight budget. For $599, the new addition to the iPhone 16 family offers a modern design that’s years ahead of the iPhone SE it replaces, plus a surprisingly great single rear camera and long battery life.
Most importantly, the iPhone 16e has full support for Apple Intelligence — a comprehensive set of productivity and creativity tools that include generative AI and more sophisticated Siri with ChatGPT integration. Before the product’s arrival, you had to drop at least $800 for an iPhone 16 to get the advanced functionality. One of my favorite bits about Apple Intelligence is the option to discreetly access Siri’s vast, AI-backed knowledge with text commands.
The iPhone 16e, compared to the $200 more expensive iPhone, does not include the interactive feature at the top of the display that adds useful active app shortcuts. It was launched alongside the iPhone 14 Pro and all subsequent iPhone releases have it, except for the 16e.
The 16e also lacks MagSafe with fast Qi2 charging, and a multi-sensor camera with a hardware control button. The cheaper iPhone’s battery life is longer, however.
Save for the camera control button, last year’s iPhone 15 offers the above features the 16e lacks for $100 more. However, its A16 Bionic chip is a couple of generations behind (think no Apple Intelligence) and its battery life is shorter. I’d take the iPhone 16e over it.
Review: iPhone 16e
| Operation System | Display | Cameras | Durability |
| Apple iOS | 6.1 Super Retina XDR OLED display with 460 pixels per inch | 48MP main, 12MP front-facing camera | IP68 water- and dustproof |
The Pixel 9a by Google makes a compelling case if you’re shopping for a new phone on a budget of under $500. The Android device offers a blend of minimalist yet instantly recognizable design, a robust build, and top-tier hardware specifications, complemented by commendable all-around performance and battery life.
Like every Google Pixel, the 9a also features a proficient camera setup. Additionally, you can expect timely platform updates for seven years, ensuring it remains current with features and security patches, similar to those found on higher-end Pixel phones. Such a level of future-proofing puts the starter Pixel ahead of all rivals in its price category.
The Pixel 9a’s 6.3-inch display panel is larger than its predecessor’s, yet the gadget is still compact by today’s conventional smartphone standards. Unlike most phones in its price category, the Google offering is easy to use with one hand on the move.
The entry-level model comes with 128 GB of storage. Doubling the memory capacity costs $100 extra.
Review: Google Pixel 9a
| Platform | Display | Cameras | Durability |
| Android | 6.3-inch Actua OLED (2,424 x 1,080 pixels), 120-Hz maximum refresh rate | 48MP main, 13MP ultra-wide, 4K video recording, 13MP selfie camera | IP 68 waterproof |
Big-screen foldable phones command high prices because they’re essentially a smartphone and tablet in one. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold6 is today’s best in this still-niche product category, thanks to durability, powerful hardware, and Android platform with deeply integrated AI features. Those include Samsung’s Galaxy AI set of tools, as well as full support for Google Gemini.
A primary foldable display that supports Samsung’s iconic S Pen stylus is the primary feature that sets the Galaxy Z Fold6 apart from its rivals. The optional accessory makes taking notes, creating digital art, and editing media, among many other tasks, easier and more precise than swiping and tapping on a screen with your fingers.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the most formidable alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 in this high-price tier. It is worth splurging on if you prioritize camera performance and zoom range, but its bigger foldable display lacks stylus support. The range-topping Galaxy is also equipped with a more powerful chip and faster charging tech. It’s more durable, too.
| Platform | Display | Cameras | Durability |
| Android | 7.6-inch folding QXGA+ (2,160 x 1,856 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 6.3-inch HD+ (2,376 x 968 pixels) Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz maximum refresh rate | 50MP wide, 10MP telephoto, 12MP ultra-wide; 10MP selfie camera, 4MP under-display camera | IP48 water- and dust-resistant |
It’s been decades since Motorola became synonymous with flip phones, and consumer electronics have come a long way since. Impressively and at a time when foldable smartphones have gone mainstream, the storied maker still has the best flip phone worth your attention—the Moto razr+.
In addition to a striking design and decidedly premium build with a vegan leather exterior, the AI-powered Android phone has top-tier hardware to go with performance and battery life to match.
The conversation-worthy foldable design of the Moto razr+ has a positive impact on its ergonomics, too. In times when standard big-screen phones are approaching tablet territory, the foldable gadget can easily fit into a small purse or a skinny jeans pocket despite having a primary screen that’s even bigger. Better yet, its best-in-class external display makes common interactions like taking calls and replying to messages, to name a couple, effortless.
If you want to jump to a modern flip phone on a tighter budget, the Moto razr without a Plus moniker is a great buy. It has similar looks and slightly toned-down specs. The 2023 version of the product is constantly on sale for less than $400 in case you are willing to give the form factor a try for less money.
Review: Motorola razr and razr+
| Platform | Display | Cameras | Durability |
| Android | 6.9-inch foldable pOLED with FHD+ resolution (2,640 x 1,080 pixels), 165 Hz refresh rate; 4-inch external pOLED (1,272 x 1,080 pixels) | 50 MP primary, 50 MP telephoto, 32 MP selfie | IPX8 water-resistant |
Stefan is an award-winning consumer technology editor with over a decade of experience in reviewing gadgets, particularly smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, desktop and laptop computers across multiple form factors and platforms, as well as accessories for them. He also covers televisions and audio equipment, including headphones, earbuds, wireless speakers, and soundbars. Since joining Hearst in 2015, Stefan has contributed to BestProducts, Popular Mechanics, and numerous other publications. Prior to his current role, he served as the US Editor for GSMArena.com.
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